April 6, 2006

STREET SCENEMeander Drive

Meander Drive is one of Almaden’s more pleasant streets, dotted with stylish homes tucked behind neatly manicured yards, with T.J. Martin Park situated at the southern end.

Mike Eickmeier takes a break from gardening in his front yard.

Mike and Laura Eickmeier have lived on Meander Drive for 20 years. A cart filled with red geraniums and a Home Sweet Home sign decorate their front yard.

“The best thing about living here is that it is pretty quiet,” said Mike taking an opportunity between rainy days to garden. “It’s very beautiful with the hills in the distance and the park at the end of the street. And we have nice neighbors—though some of the people have moved on. I love the area.”

The Eickmeiers moved to San Jose from Michigan, where they were married 28 years ago after meeting on a blind date. John’s in management with Chevy’s Restaurant and Laura fills her weekends antiquing. That’s when they’re not tending to their two dogs: a German shepherd and a chocolate Labrador.

And that’s what you discover talking to the people who live on Meander. They’re a peaceful, content neighborhood with full, busy lives.

Mike and Paula Boling moved to the block in 1982 specifically to raise their family. Their four children are now grown but they have no plans on moving from Meander.

“It’s pretty pleasant and a good area to raise kids,” said Mike, a Bay Area native who joins the street caroling group at Christmas. “It’s a good location as well. And it’s not too noisy though there is the park at the end of the block.”

T.J. Martin Park was named after the builder who built the homes and dedicated the recreation area when the tract was constructed over 30 years ago. Meander is one of the streets in the large block of land that includes Coleman to Meridian to Redmond and is all part of the same tract. The park runs through the center lengthwise where kids play soccer, runners tab meters and neighbors walk dogs chatting with friends. Others sit and watch their toddlers playing on the playground. The scene is like a movie of a typical American neighborhood.

Meander Drive is only a block long and sales are few and far between. The last home sale was a two-story home with 2,110 square feet of living space that boasted five bedrooms, two and a half baths and a gourmet kitchen. It sold in September of 2005 for $955,000.

John and Judith Gruber have called Meander Drive home since 1984. John is a lifelong educator and a past vice president at San Jose State University. Judith is a teacher as well instructing students 5 years and over in piano.

“It’s pretty quiet but I do love to listen to the children playing in the park across the way,” said Judith as she walked her 16-year-old longhaired dachshund.

“It is a congenial street,” said John. “We know each other and interact. It is a wonderful area.”

Mike Eickmeier is still gardening but suddenly remembers an incident that happened recently.

“Two weeks ago our mailbox was blown up with a cherry bomb,” said Eickmeier. “It was a little house and they blew it to smithereens. A couple of years ago there were smashed pumpkins and they broke off mailboxes. Just kids, I guess. What can you do? I didn’t report it. Other than that I love the area!”

Pretty small potatoes in the big scheme of things. Eickmeier’s “live and let live” attitude is typical of the relaxed approached to life on Meander Drive.

—By Jeanne Carbone Lewis